Clay

All in all, I created three pieces during our clay unit: two clay tiles and a clay form. The tiles were intended to be practice pieces where we could experiment with sgraffito. I did not have any particular inspiration for these—I just wanted a beautiful image and I planned on using them as household objects. The clay form was inspired by Venus figurines, particularly the Venus of Dolní Věstonice, shown left. The wings emerged on a whim, and I think they serve to make the piece unique. 

For all of these pieces, the basic process was the same. I began by creating the desired shape out of clay. This was simple for the tiles, but a bit harder for the prehistoric fairy figure. I began by making a sphere and then using various techniques to create the rest of the form, making sure that the figurine stayed hollow. After sculpting, I painted the clay with underglaze and created the sgraffito designs by carving. After the clay dried and was fired once, I  coated the form and tiles with glaze to prepare them for the final firing. 

The tiles were fairly straightforward and turned out how I intended them to, but the fairy figurine posed a real challenge. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use a Venus figurine as a model, but this was complicated by the realities of creating a hollow clay form, and her proportions are only loosely inspired by the original. The wings were a whim, but I think they create a sense of balance. The carvings were supposed to represent the diversity of life on Earth.